Premier League - Paper Round: Defoe to Barcelona

Eurosport - Sun, 29 Nov 09:59:00 2009

Barcelona are tracking Tottenham's prolific striker Jermain Defoe with a view to launching a surprise big-money bid for the England hotshot.

2009-2010 Tottenham Hotspur Jermain Defoe - 0

The Sunday Express reports that the Catalan giants are keen to snaffle the 27-year-old, who has already struck 15 goals for club and country in this campaign, including five against Wigan last week.

Barca boss Pep Guardiola has demanded an urgent supply of scouting reports on the striker, with Spurs manager Harry Redknapp set to vehemently reject any bids for the £15 million man he brought back to White Hart Lane.

The same paper is adamant that Manchester United will follow through on their interest in Valencia striker David Villa, with Sir Alex Ferguson to offer a hefty £50m to secure the services of the 27-year-old Spaniard.

Midfielder David Silva is also a target of the Premier League champions after Valencia once again declared their desire to sell their prize assets to alleviate major debt problems.

The Mail on Sunday report that Manchester City's billionaire owners are ready to muscle in with a £50m bid for striker Fernando Torres to rock ailing Liverpool.

The Sheikh owners are understood to be sensing an opportunity to sign the forward after the Reds' shock Champions League exit in midweek.

While many clubs are looking to pinch a potent striker in the January transfer window, City are setting their sights a tad higher: on buying an entire club.

The Daily Telegraph reveals that a 'source close to the club' has confirmed that City are looking to invest over £2m in Belgian club Excelsior Mouscron.

City are keen to seal the deal with Mouscron in order to use the club as a 'feeder' to their squad, with the partnership being established for young players to gain experience in Belgium.

Wolves striker Kevin Doyle has thrown Liverpool striker David Ngog back into the limelight after telling the same paper that the Frenchman must have been 'brainwashed' into diving against Everton to win the penalty.

"It you cheat it is because you are brainwashed to win at all costs, like Ngog and the penalty for Liverpool," said Doyle.

Darren Bent has been furiously Twittering to convey his anger after the striker claimed that a Sunderland fan racially abused his mother.

Police are now investigating Bent's claims - reported in the News of the World - after he posted: "So we get beaten by Wigan and to make matters worse, my mum gets racially abused by a Sunderland fan. I won't stand for that."

The same paper says Liverpool are desperate to offload self-effacing winger Ryan Babel to Bayern Munich, with the German giants eyeing a £9m move for the Dutchman.

A source was reported as saying: "Rafa has totally blanked Babel since his outburst. He has made it clear to the player more than once he will pick his strongest team and will not budge." Does that include Yossi Benayoun, then?

The Daily Star reveal that Paul Scholes is Manchester United winger Gabriel Obertan's hero, with the 20-year-old having modelled himself on the midfielder since a young age.

Obertan, who moved to Old Trafford for £3m in the summer, said: "Scholes was definitely the role model for me when I was younger. I thought he was very professional - he is also very accurate in the midfield."

The Star also claim that Birmingham and Aston Villa are embroiled in a Midlands scrap for Manchester City defender Micah Richards, with Spurs also throwing their weight around.

The 21-year-old is reportedly fed up with his lack of opportunities at Eastlands, and a flurry of bids around the £8m mark are due for the January transfer window to prize Richards away.

The Daily Mirror have Sven-Goran Eriksson telling the world that his dream is to lead League Two Notts County into the Champions League.

"When we are in the Premier League, the dream will be then to play in the Champions League - and then to win that. It is simply human nature," said Eriksson, with all due circumspection.

"But it is very clear you don't win the Champions League or Premier League without money," he concluded, rather cynically.

Eurosport

Comment 23 - 42 of 42

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  1. The M - go back to school mate and learn to write in­ English, 'cos your making no f**king sense!

    From Shelf-Boy, on Mon 30 Nov 6:28PM

  2. Does..The M...stand for muppet? It should you dope!!

    From Nigel, on Mon 30 Nov 2:40PM

  3. Guys a muppet! My team Barca are treble winners! Spurs­ can't beat none of the top teams only Liverpool and­ the only reason they are top 4 at the moment is cause­ Liverpool are @#$% this year! If Spurs qualified­ Miraculously I hasent to add for Champs League­ they'd get knocked in the qualifiers like Celtic!

    From ramon.sagra, on Mon 30 Nov 1:42PM

  4. As long as they keep Kranjcar, Corluka, Modric and­ Keane they will be fine....Niko is da man!!!!! Great­ pickup Harry, brilliant.....Spurs rule!!!!

    From tottenhamkid, on Mon 30 Nov 12:00AM

  5. COME ON SPURS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Harry will never­ let go of defoe COME­ ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    From paulinehunt74, on Sun 29 Nov 8:50PM

  6. COME ON SPURS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Harry will never­ let go of defoe COME­ ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    From paulinehunt74, on Sun 29 Nov 8:50PM

  7. Shelf-boy. You aren't a barca scout by any chance?­ If that is your way of thinking then come back to me­ at the end of the season and we will see if Lennon or­ Defoe win the Ballon d'Or next year or even get­ shortlisted!!!! I am more of a lazy boy kinda guy. He­ is behind Heskey in the England line-up. HAHA Imagine­ him a Barca player still laughing when I SAY IT OUT­ LOUD

    From The M, on Sun 29 Nov 8:20PM

  8. Why would defoe go to a lower league team like barca­ get real, third rate football played in spain just­ about hull or stoke class,these so called top euro­ teams could not last a season in the EPL diving crying­ cheating prima donas,stop writing @#$% when this­ champion league @#$% is dead and gone in 3 or 4 years­ will be best thing to happen to the home of football.­ play at your own leval play for your local side support­ your local side and stay the f away from real football­ fans sky killed football every thicko who steals­ coverage think they know about the game stop kidding­ yourselfs

    From P O NEIL, on Sun 29 Nov 7:09PM

  9. shelf boy . are you a top scout or another white hart­ lane mug with a bias opinion about whos good , defoe­ has been around a long time and never played for a top­ club or even been in the champions league, oh yea im­ not an arm chair supporter but can bet you are

    From Paul, on Sun 29 Nov 6:52PM

  10. bye bye defoe , redknob has no choice who stays or goes­ , ur not called the yid army for no reason your board­ will grab the money just like they did with berbatov.­ ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha­ ha ha ha

    From Paul, on Sun 29 Nov 6:32PM

  11. The M (whatever that means) - come and talk to me at­ the end of the season and we can discuss who is top of­ the Premiership scoring charts. I'll guarantee that­ Defoe is in the top 3 because I know a class striker­ when I see one. Oh, and I don't take kindly to­ being called a plonker by someone who probably watches­ his football from an armchair!

    From Shelf-Boy, on Sun 29 Nov 5:26PM

  12. @Shelf-Boy. It seems like you are removed from­ reality!!! Defoe has been on form for England.... ­ They have only played one good team in Brazil during­ Capello's reign and lost. The ONLY reason Defoe is­ top goalscorer in the league is because Wigan where­ awful they may as well have been playing 5 a-side!!! ­ It could easily have been Pavy or Keane or even­ Cudicini!!!! What a PLONKER you are.

    From The M, on Sun 29 Nov 3:30PM

  13. Man City need to sign a MANAGER and not a­ stricker...... GET A MANAGER.... and put Mark on the­ market... (bet no team will want to sign him...)

    From Issac, on Sun 29 Nov 2:52PM

  14. P off Barca muppets.

    From lee, on Sun 29 Nov 2:47PM

  15. money talks

    From pfy1101, on Sun 29 Nov 2:43PM

  16. harry will never let defoe go well while hes spurs­ manager end ov

    From gillam85, on Sun 29 Nov 2:17PM

  17. So Barca want Defoe.True or False? Will Defoe Go. True­ or False? Is Barca linked with every top player on this­ planet. True or False? Is Spurs a better team than­ Barca. True or False? Blah blah BLAH. Barca have not­ officially confirmed the interest, so its down to the­ Spurs fans to run away with it. ITS ALL TACTICS PEOPLE!

    From Tony, on Sun 29 Nov 2:07PM

  18. Does anyone really support these dum spammers who flood­ the site with junk comments? Hey guys, let's report­ them so Yahoo can quickly ban these people off the­ site.

    As for those transfer rumors, they are just­ that, gossips and rumors.

    From john360, on Sun 29 Nov 1:41PM

  19. i gotta admit, Defoe scores more goals per minute for­ England than Rooney. I would hardly say they were­ against scrube teams. for that matter so does Crouch. ­ Maybe United should buy Defoe.

    From rick, on Sun 29 Nov 1:41PM

  20. shelf boy ,,,,,,well u dont know good old harry he sell­ anyone if he is getting some money in his pocket

    From tasdeon, on Sun 29 Nov 1:33PM
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